Chapter 12
12
BENNETT
I walk down the long hallway to my parents room and when I reach it, I stand in the open doorway and watch them as they move through the room, getting ready.
My dad is the one to notice me first.
He gives me a smile that slows the rolling in my stomach but doesn’t stop it.
“Hey, buddy,” he says, waving me in as he puts in his cufflinks.“Are you okay?”
I give him a nod, not wanting to tell him about what I’m feeling in my stomach.
“Where are you going?” I ask, like I don’t already know. This party must be special because my dad only puts on his cufflinks when it’s special.
“Your mom and I are going to small gathering at a friends house. They just sold their company and they want to celebrate,” my dad answers, giving me a small smile.
“But it’s raining.” I’m not usually one to whine to my parents about where they go, but the rain is making me today.
My dad gives me a smile and forgets about his links as he crunches down to my eye level. “I know bud, but don’t worry. Mom and I will be back in a few hours and when we do, we can talk about our trip for next week. We can plan all the rides that we want to get on.”
A feel a smile form on my face.
For weeks I had been asking dad if we could go to the place with all the rides in California like we did last year. I kept telling him that I was finally tall enough to ride with him and Robert and every single time he would tell me that he will see with his schedule.
I didn't think he was ever going to say yes.
Until last week when he came home and gave me a laser toy gun and told me I was going to need it when we head out to California and not only get on the rides but meet all my favorite characters.
One more week and we are able to go.
“Can we plan to do only the fast rides?” I ask, almost jumping up and down.
“Only the fast rides? You don’t want to do the slow ones with me? I thought for sure you’d want to at least do to the carousel.” My mom’s voice sounds out and when I look up and away from my dad, I see her walking back into the room from the connected bathroom room as she puts on her earrings.
I think my mom is the most beautiful girl in the world. She doesn’t need earrings to make her even more prettier.
“That ride is for babies, mom,” I say to her and right away she smiles at me.
“You’re still my baby. So I’m requesting that you at least ride the carousel with me once,” she tells me, walking over to me and messing up my hair.
Especially when dad gives me a look that tells me that what my mom says go and we are to do everything to make her happy.
“Okay,” I respond, looking up at her with a smile. “If you go on a roller coaster with me.”
My mom narrows her eyes on me, almost like she is mad, before her eyes open up and she gives me a smile. “One fast ride and only one.”
“Deal.”
My legs burn as I let this treadmill take everything that I have. The memory that woke me over two hours ago has been replaying in my head on repeat. No matter how hard I run or how hard I want the nightmare to go away, it still ever so present.
Our family never went on that trip out to California.
My parents died that night and the next time I saw them was as their caskets were being lowered into the ground.
Out of all the memories that could have come back to haunt me, the memory of my parents happy and smiling was not one that I was expecting. I would have taken their funeral over seeing them smiling any day, but of course my subconscious doesn’t work that way.
Of course my mind decided to hit me with one of the most painful memories today of all days.
Gerald is announcing his retirement and me and his replacement.
This the day that I’ve been waiting for for years but only two hours into the day and I already want it to be over.
I should be fucking excited about the fact that my father’s company is going to finally be mine. I should be out celebrating and drinking from the most expensive bottle of scotch that I can get my hands on, but instead I’m dreading even stepping foot into the off and getting my title.
And it all has to do with my parents.
My father should be the one to be handing me this title, not some old bastard that didn’t deserve it in the first place.
It’s not only my parents that I’ve been thinking about since Gerald came in and announced that he was calling a board meeting, my brother has also been at the top of my mind.
Robert, just like my parents, is a topic I try not to think about all that often. Mostly because thinking about him pisses me off beyond belief, but when the kids bring him up, I try to be as neutral as possible. Some days are harder than others.
If he hadn’t left a month after mom and dad’s funeral, or even stayed when he brought the kids to Chicago ten years ago, he could be the one getting named CEO today, not me.
There are a lot of could haves and could bes playing in my head and they are messing me up just as much as the handful of nightmares that I’ve had this week. It doesn’t help that this morning during my daily search for him, something new popped up.
I’ve been searching for Robert for ten years, and that time, nothing out of the ordinary has come up, but today of all days, something does.
A phone number.
Not the number he had when he was sixteen and left the house, and not one he had while he lived in Mexico, but a new one with a Florida area code.
It’s taking everything in me not to call it and see if it’s truly him, but I can’t find it in me to do it.
If I do call and it is him, what do I tell him? Come back? That his kids miss him and need him? They’ve gone ten years without him and their mother, I’m sure that they miss them but they don’t need either of them. I made fucking sure of that.
The burning in my legs intensifies, which tells me that I forgot where I was for a second and pushed myself harder than intended.
Not wanting to end up in the hospital with broken bones on this important day, I turn off the treadmill and get off.
Feeling my body want to give up with exhaustion, I slide down to the floor and try to control my breathing and try to think about something other than the family I once had.
If today goes how I think it will, I will be CEO by the end of the day. I’m not worried about not getting it.
From the second that Gerald told me that he was going to be retirement, I’ve working double time time to get the votes that I need to make sure the title lands on my head. I have all ten accounted for.
Did a vote or two come with a price? Absolutely but it’s one that I’m willing to pay to get what I want. The other party just has to stick with their side of their agreement and I will open my wallet however wide they want it.
The thing that I am worried about is the board throwing me a damn curve ball. There is no doubt in my mind that they are going to try everything in their power to keep me away from that sweet, but I have no idea what is up their sleeves.
Dante is still working on getting me information on Hill. He has gotten me some but he is still digging. The information that he has gotten me so far doesn’t tell me anything that I don’t already know. But he says to give him time, so I am.
As soon as my breathing is controlled, I get up from the floor and leave the basement gym and head up to the kitchen.
It’s not even six in the morning, but I need to get the day started. It’s going to be a long, mentally challenging one for sure.
Approaching the kitchen, I hear the house alarm chime notifying me that someone opened the front door.
My back straightens up right away as I head to the foyer to see who the fuck in coming into my house at this hour because I know for a fact that nobody is leaving it.
Drake is still asleep.
I hear Henry in the kitchen and Grayson and Samantha are back at school after being for a few days. It’s sure as hell not my security team because they know not to come into the house before seven.
The closer I walk over to the front of the house, I think to myself that I need to move one of the guns that I have in the safe in my office closer to the door, but that thought disappears when I’m able to make out the figure that just walked in.
“You were supposed to get here last night,” I say to my twenty-year old nephew who is currently dumping a duffle on the floor that looks like its filled with a year’s worth of clothes.
Seven months actually.
Elliot turns and instead of giving me a wave or even a greeting, he throws a shrug in my direction.
“My flight got cancelled and the only way to get here was to take a flight to London and get the last flight out to Chicago. You should be happy I made it at all.”
I blame the fact that I haven’t had coffee yet for the way my eyes roll.
“If you would have taken the plane I sent, you wouldn’t have had an issue.”
“Maybe I wanted to struggle.”
A sigh escapes me.
When it comes to Elliot and I’s relationship, describing it as strained doesn’t even cover it. I try to be a parental figure to him, but given the fact that there are only ten years between, him seeing me as a parent is difficult. From the day that we met, he has tried to defy me every chance that he gets. Hating everything that I do or give. To him, I’m more of a big brother that he doesn’t have to listen to and I’ve very much let it get to that point. If it wasn’t for Henry, Elliot wouldn’t have had any discipline.
Now that he’s twenty, that big brother thing is ever so present and I hate it. Thank fuck Grayson, Sam and Drake listen to me at least.
Not wanting to get into it this early in the day, I change the subject.
“Henry’s in the kitchen making breakfast if you’re hungry.” I nod toward the kitchen.
Surprisingly he follows me out of the foyer. “I’m starving.”
As he walks by me and into the kitchen, I take note that Elliot is not a little kid anymore. He’s almost just as tall as I am and looks a lot more like a man than the last time I saw him. I guess when you are backpacking through Europe and Asia, without any help from your rich uncle, that happens.
The second that Elliot walks into the kitchen, he has Henry’s attention.
“Mr. Elliot.” Henry drops whatever is doing and walks over to the kid who’s essentially his oldest grandkid.
Who by the way doesn’t hesitate in wrapping the old man into a hug.
Where the fuck was my hug?
You didn’t even greet the kid.
Whatever.
Elliot claps Henry on the back. “It’s good to see you, old man.”
“How was the flight? You should have told me that you were coming in at this hour and I would have gone and picked you up.”
“The flight was fine. I slept the whole way. And I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to put you out. I figure you had your hands would be full with things here anyway.”
It’s subtle but I know when someone is throwing a dig at me.
I ignore it and listen to them as they talk about Elliot’s backpacking adventures. Henry has heard all of these stories, since Elliot actually answer his calls and talks to him at least once a week, but he is taking in every single word as if it were the first time he is hearing them. The way he smiles at my nephew makes me think that if my dad was still here, he would have the same smile on his face.
“So, does someone want to tell me why the board meeting that is happening today is so important that I had to fly in?” Elliot asks, as him, Henry and I sit at the kitchen table eating out breakfast. Drake is still asleep so Henry put aside food for when he wakes up.
Eli look over at both me and Henry, waiting for one of to give him an answer.
Since the age of eighteen, Elliot has been part of the Lane Enterprises board of executives. Since we don’t have any confirmation if Robert is dead or alive, the seat that would have gone to him on his eighteenth birthday, went to his son and when the other three kids come of age, they will get a seat as well. Not only does their father not being here come with a board seat, it also come with equal split of ownership. Where I hold forty percent, and Henry holds five, they hold ten percent each. The other fifteen percent being public or distributed by members of the board.
So when Gerald announced that he was calling a board meeting, everyone who holds a seat had to come into town for it. Which meant that Elliot had to cut his stay in Laos short.
Except, neither Henry or I told him what the board meeting was about. We just told him that he needed to be precent.
I put my fork down and answer his question.
“Goldman is announcing his retirement and with that his replacement. The board is going to be voting in his pick.”
He gives me a nod, a small smirk playing on his face. “And is that replacement you?”
“According to him, yeah it is. Is that going to be a problem for you?”
There’s a bite to my tone, one that I didn’t mean to let slip, but I couldn’t help it. The nightmares and memories and Elliot looking like he would rather be somewhere else but home, is messing with my head a lot more than I need to on a day like today.
It takes a second for Elliot to answer but he finally does and he surprises me by what he says.
“No. No problem. I know how hard you’ve been working to get to point. It might not have been all morally, but you put in the work. I’ve seen it. Everyone at the company has seen it. They would be stupid not to vote you in. Besides, I’m sure it was have been something that grandma and grandpa would have wanted for you. So you have my vote.”
It’s been a while since I heard him say many words to me that I have to take a second to digest everything that he said.
The kid may be an adult, but he still has some growing up to do, but from the looks of it, he is already taking all the necessary steps to get there.
“Thank you. You have no idea how much I appreciate it.”
He throws me a nod and goes back to eating without saying another word.
The remainder of breakfast is almost silent, with a few things said here and there. When all of us are done, Elliot and I help Henry clear the table and we go through a run through as to how the day will play out.
“Mr. Lane, I sent a car over to Ms. Vincent’s residence like you requested. She should be here in about an hour and will ride with you to the office. I will make Mr. Drake and make sure he is at school on time before doing some work for the foundation and heading to the office later this afternoon for the board meeting. Are there any changes for me?”
I shake my head. “No, Henry. Thank you.”
“Who’s Ms. Vincent?” Elliot chimes in, another smirk playing on his face. It’s crazy how much he looks like his dad when he does that.
“Mr. Lane’s new assistant.”
“Assistant? And she is coming here? You never let any of your assistants come near the property, let alone come into the house.”
I grind my teeth, because he’s right.
In all the years that I’ve had assistants working with me, I’ve never let them come to the Manor. The penthouse in downtown Chicago, sure, but never to the house where the kids live. It has been a boundary for me for years.
Yet, I’m removing that boundary for my brown-haired, doe eye assistant.
My mind goes to the kiss that we shared early this week.
It was short, and definitely not planned, but I haven’t stopped thinking about her mouth since she slammed it against mine.
Every time I pass by her desk, I want to lean over and get another taste of her. I’ve Alsop found myself looking at her mouth a little too much and checking her out as much as I possibly can. There is this pull to her that doesn’t seem to go away, no matter how hard I try.
I keep telling myself that I can’t have her, yet she is all that I could think about outside of the nightmares and memories sneaking in.
I’m sure the second I become CEO it will go away, because I will have more pressing things to occupy my mind, but I have a feeling that whatever attraction I have for my assistant will still be there no matter what title I hold.
“According to Dante and what I’ve witnessed, she can be trusted.”
Elliot’s smirk grows into a full blown grin. “You had Dante look into her?”
My teeth grind.
Out of all the kid, Elliot knows a bit about some of my “friends” and what they may have their hands on. Not because I wanted to him to know but because something came about around the time he turned eighteen where I had to tell him I had connections in dark places.
“Yes, because I needed to know if she could be trusted.”
His grin grows even more. “You like her.”
“I don’t know what the fuck you are talking about.”
“Yeah, you do. You only have Dante look into people when it’s something serious. And knowing if someone is trust worthy is serious, but I would bet all the money that is in my wallet right now that you find this woman attractive and you also had him look into her because you wanted to know everything about her. Is she hot?”
If it was acceptable to punch my nephew I would do it right now.
“Don’t you have something to do? Like sleep? You did fly commercial after all, I’m sure you’re tired. You don’t get much sleep on those tiny ass seats.”
“I’m going to take that change of subject as a yes. Now what is Ms. Vincents name?”
Annoyance runs through my body. I think I like it more when he didn’t say full sentences to me.
“I’m done with you.” I grab my phone and start making my way upstairs to get ready for the day.
Elliot laughs and I hear it all the way up to the second floor.
Not going to lie, going back and forth with him felt nice. That hasn’t happened in years and it wasn’t until this moment that I realized that I missed it a whole lot.
I hope Elliot states in Chicago for longer than just today, but I feel like that just wishful thinking.
After checking to see that Drake is still asleep, the nightmares something he hasn’t experienced in a few weeks, I go and take a shower before changing into the suit that Henry put out last night.
An all black, slim fit Armani suit seems fitting for a day like today, but as I slide it on and look at my reflection in the mirror, something seems off about it.
This is a suit that I’ve worn a hundred times, but today, it feels like something is missing.
It doesn’t take me long to figure out.
The dream.
There was a reason I had that particular memory pop into my head today of all days.
After taking a deep breath, I walk over to the walk in closet and open the watch drawer. Inside there is a small cufflink box that I open maybe once a year when I want to drown myself in memories and happy moments.
I’m not one for cufflinks, unless with a tuxedo, so wearing them today for sure will be something that Henry will notice.
Opening up the box, I quickly scan the contents until I find the pair that I’m looking for. The pair that my father wore the night he died, were buried with him, but because I wanted a piece of him, I had them reconstructed a few years back.
I remembered every single detail of the ones he wore, so they are the exact same.
My hands shake as I put them on, but the second that they are both attached the suit feels complete.
I guess no matter what I do, or how old I get, I will always need a piece of my parents with me at all times.
Not wanting to think about it any more, I put the box back in its place and head back downstairs.
As soon as I step onto the first floor, I feel Henry’s eyes scanning my appearance and I see the moment when he notices the cufflinks.
A sad smile forms on his face but he doesn’t say anything about the links.
“Are you ready for today, Sir?”
I throw a curt nod in his direction and grab the briefcase that he is holding out.
“I’ve been ready for this for years, Henry. It’s time for that CEO title to be mine.”